From Wikitravel

Chamorro, or Chamoru, is the native language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro is also used in mainland United States by immigrants and some of their descendants.

The numbers of Chamorro speakers have declined in recent years, and the younger generations are less likely to know the language. The influence of English, Spanish, and Japanese have caused the language to become endangered. Various representatives from Guam have unsuccessfully lobbied the United States to take action to promote the language.

A large number of Chamorro words have Spanish etymological roots (e.g. tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish Creole: However, Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way (eg: bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, play ball" with infix -um- and reduplication of root). However, Chamorro can also be considered a mixed language (Hispano-Austronesian) or a language that resulted of a contact and creolization process in the Mariana Islands. Modern Chamorro grammar has many elements of Spanish origin: articles, numbers, prepositions...

There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas archipelago. It is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas, but fluency has greatly decreased among Guamanian Chamorros during the years of American rule in favor of (a largely pidginized) American English.

[edit] Pronunciation guide

[edit] Vowels

[edit] Consonants

[edit] Common diphthongs

[edit] Phrase list

[edit] Basics

Hello. 

Håfa adai. (Hah-fuh-day)

How are you? 

Håfa tatatmanu hao? (Hah-fuh-tah-taht-mah-noo-How?)

What is your name? 

Hayi na'an-mu? (Hah-zi-na-ahn-moo?)

My name is John. 

Si Juan Yu. (See-Hwan-zu.)

Thank you. 

Si Yu'us ma'ase. (See-zu-us-Mah-ah-see)

You're welcome. 

Buen probechu. (Bwen-proh-beh-chu)

Goodbye. 

Adiós. (Ah-dee-yos)

Good morning. 

Buenas días. (Bwenas-Dee-as)

Good evening. 

Buenas tatdes. (Bwenas-tah-des)

Good night. 

Buenas noches. (Bwenas-no-ches)

Good night (see you tomorrow) 

Asta agupa'. (eh-stah-ah-goo-pah)

[edit] Problems

Note that the letter Y is pronounced more like 'dz' as it is in some dialects of Castilian Spanish, and that Ch is usually pronounced like 'ts' rather than 'tsh'. Note also that A and Å are not always distinguished in written Chamorro, often being written simply as 'A'; nor are N and Ñ always distinguished. Thus the Guamanian place name spelled Yona is pronounced 'dzo-nya', not 'yo-na' as might be expected.

[edit] Numbers

Current common Chamoru uses only number words of Spanish origin: unu, dos, tres, kuatro, sinko, sais, siette, ocho, nuebi, dies, onse, dose, trese, katotse, kinse, disesisáis...; beinte (benti), trenta, kuarenta, sinkuenta...: sien, dos sientos, tres sientos... kinientos...; mit, dos mit, tres mit...

The Old Chamoru used different number words based on categories: "Basic numbers" (for date, time, etc), "living things", "inanimate things", and "long objects".

• 1 - uno
• 2 - dos
• 3 - tres
• 4 - kuattro
• 5 - singko
• 6 - sais
• 7 - siette
• 8 - ocho
• 9 - nuebi
• 10 - dies
• 11 - onse
• 12 - dosse
• 13 - tresse
• 14 - katotse
• 15 - kinse
• 16 - disisais
• 17 - disisiette
• 18 - disiocho
• 19 - disinuebi
• 20 - bente
• 30 - trenta
• 40 - kuarenta
• 50 - singkuenta
• 60 - sisenta
• 70 - sitenta
• 80 - ochenta
• 90 - nubenta
• 100 - siento
• 500 - kinentos
• 1000 - mit
• 1,000,000 - miyon

[edit] Time

[edit] Clock time

[edit] Duration

[edit] Days

[edit] Months

[edit] Writing time and date

[edit] Colors

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Bus and train

[edit] Directions

[edit] Taxi

[edit] Lodging

[edit] Money

[edit] Eating

MEATS

• guihan - fish
• uhang - shrimp
• pånglao - crab
• ayuyu (pronounced ah-zoo-zoo) - coconut crab
• asuli - eel
• påhgang - clam
• tapon - baby clam
• do'gas - sea shell
• mahongang - lobster
• kunehu - rabbit
• chåda' - egg
• påbu - turkey
• kåtne - beef
• månnok - chicken
• katnen babui - pork
• fritådan babui - pork chitterling
• fritådan guaka - beef chitterling
• fritådan månnok - chicken chitterling
• chachalon - pork rind

STARCHES

• kamuti - sweet potatoes
• mendeoka - tapioca
• suni - taro
• lemmai - breadfruit
• nika - sweet yam
• batåtas - potatoes
• hineksa' - rice (cooked)
• pån - bread
• titiyas mai'es - corn tortilla
• titiyas arina - four tortilla
• pugas - uncooked rice

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• donne' - pepper
• donne' pika - hot pepper
• plimenta - black pepper
• mantika - lard
• friholes - beans
• asiga - salt
• asukat - sugar
• mantekiya - butter
• yam - jam, jelly
• miet - honey
• mantekiyan kakaguates - peanut butter
• kesu - cheese

FRUITS

• laguana - soursop
• åtes - sweetsop or sugar apple
• chandia - watermelon
• melon - melon
• bilembines - star apple
• lalanghita - tangerine
• kåhet - orange
• aga' - banana
• ubas - grape
• papåya - papaya
• åbas - guava
• mångga - mango
• chotda - green bananas
• ibba' - sour grapes
• anonas - custard apple
• piña - pineapple
• aga' - banana
• granåda - pomegranate
• kikamas - sweet turnip
• makupa - mountain apple
• tupu - sugar cane
• alageta - avocado
• mansåna - apple
• månha - young coconut
• niyok - coconut
• kåhet må'gas - grapefruit

VEGETABLES

• tumåtes - tomato
• nappa' - chinese cabbage
• ilotes - corn on the cob
• mai'es - corn

BEVERAGES

• hånom - water
• leche - milk
• kafe - coffee
• binu - wine

SNACKS & DESSERTS

• chukulåti - chocolate
• kande - candy
• krakas - crackers
• inafliton batåtas - potato chips
• kakaguates - peanuts
• empanåda - spiced corn turnover
• kek chamorro - Chamorro cake
• brohas - sponge cake
• apigige' - grilled young coconut w/starch
• kalamai - corn pudding
• påstet - baked turnover
• buchibuchi - fried turnover
• buñelos aga' - banana doughnut

[edit] Bars

[edit] Shopping

[edit] Driving

[edit] Authority

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